Kanojo no kuroko haato
by Hazuki Furukawa
Summary: Maka's newfound illness has floored her life, but Soul has different means of treatment than her doctors' do.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER** **I**

_**Knock,** **knock.**_

"Maka?" Soul called through the door. This was a strange thing for Soul to be doing. Maka was normally the one to wake him up, not the other way around. Although this was true, sometimes Maka got to bed later than she usually did. Even so, today felt different as Soul knocked on her door with no response. So he tried again.  
_Knock, knock._ "Maka?"  
With no response for the second time around, Soul slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Maka's room was as tidy as ever, expect for the small bundle of sheets on her messy bed. And inside of those sheets was Maka herself, in her nightclothes and her sandy hair in a tangled mess. With much resentment for the wrath Maka would bring upon him, Soul stepped quietly over to the bed. Maka seemed at peace while she slept, but there was something else. There almost seemed to be... contriteness? But that's ridiculous. Why would Maka feel remorse, to a point where you could see it in her expression while she slept? Soul pushed the thought from his brain and got back to the task at hand.  
He placed his hand on Maka's shoulder and shook her lightly. "Maka," he called to his dreaming companion. "Maka, you need to get up."  
Maka stirred and groaned, her face tensing. Then her sleepy emerald eyes opened slightly. Soul moved out of her way as she sat up, her eyes still glossy from sleep. "Soul," she said plainly. Then she started shrugging the covers off of herself. "What time is it?"  
"Later than you usually wake up," Soul replied as he stood up straight. He was about to walk away, when Maka grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. Soul turned around in surprise and looked down at his meister. She looked different. Her facial expression was blank, her eyes half closed, and she sat limply on the bed, just holding onto his sleeve.  
"What time is it?" she asked again. When she spoke, he realized, she sounded meeker than usual, almost apprehensive or sheepish.  
Instinctively, Soul placed his hand on her forehead. She felt slightly warm. "Maka, are you feeling okay?"  
Maka stared at Soul with empty emerald eyes. "What time is it?"  
Soul was taken back. Why was Maka acting like this? Was she sick? It didn't feel like she had a fever. But she sure was acting weird.  
Soul pulled his arm out of Maka's light grip and turned around. "Come on," he said. He grabbed her arms and hauled them over his shoulders, then grabbed her legs and started to carry her in a piggy-back ride style. In a strained voice, he said, "I'm taking you to the hospital."  
It was a moment before she responded. "What time is it?"  
Soul left with Maka to his motorcycle. He placed her in front of him so she wouldn't fall off as he drove. As soon as Maka was secure, Soul sped off to Dr. Stien's.  
Maka turned her head and looked emptily at Soul. She seemed even more exhausted than she had been earlier and her eyes had glossed over. Her voice was stretched and weaker than before as well. "What... time... is it?" Then her eyes closed and she went limp and leaned unconsciously on Soul's chest.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

"Well?"

Soul stood next to Dr. Stein, and before them was Maka, dressed in a cotton hospital gown Stein happened to have on hand. The gown-it looked more like a huge tee-shirt to Soul-itself had been pulled up to Maka's shoulders as Stein checked her vitals with a stethoscope.

Maka had regained consciousness when Soul pulled over to the side of the road after she'd fainted. The last thing he needed was her falling off, so he carried her bridal style and ran to Stein's house. "What time is it?" she'd asked in a weak voice. Soul didn't slow, just repeated to Maka that it was okay, that she was going to be okay.

When he did arrive at Stein's house, he knocked and only waited until the meister opened the door to walk and explain in a panting and panicked voice the situation. "Calm down, Soul, she's going to be alright," the doctor had said. It helped Soul gain his self control back, but he was still thick with worry.

Maka had been staring blankly at both of them as she lay on the hospital bed, her eyes glazed and seeming to not register what was going on around her. He didn't tell anyone, but it scared Soul to see her like this; so vulnerable and unlike the best friend he'd come to know.

Stein moved the stethoscope from Maka's heart to her stomach. "Her heart sounds normal, healthy," he said. "Digestive system sounds good, too." He stood up and removed the nubs from his ears.

"So is she sick?" Soul was dying to know what was wrong with Maka, he couldn't stand it. Dr. Stein meandered over to a desk and came back with a thermometer. Maka looked at him blankly.

"Open your mouth," Stein commanded, then put the thermometer near Maka's mouth expectantly. Maka just turned her head away like a child. Dr. Stein maneuvered the stick to her mouth again. "Open."

Maka turned her head again, keeping her lips tight. "Mm-mm," she refused. It was the first thing she'd said all morning that wasn't about the time, to Soul's relief.

After a few more attempts to get Maka to take the thermometer into her mouth, Stein sighed. "It's either this one, or the one that goes up the other end," he warned.

Maka stared at him for a minute, then part her lips slightly. With the thermometer in her mouth, Soul thought she looked like a sick five year at the doctor's office, which wasn't completely off. Only a ten year difference, right?

The instrument beeped and Stein took it out of Maka's mouth and examined it. "Hmm," he said. He placed the tool down and wrote something down on a slip of paper. "She's got a temperature of one hundred and one. I'd say it's a cold." He handed the paper to Soul with a store brand drug written on it. "Give her that, she should be okay in a few days."

Soul looked at the paper then Dr. Stein. "What about her behavior?"

"Sleep deprivation, I'd say."

"Sleep deprivation? But how did she-"

The doctor sighed. "It's probably nothing. If you don't see a change in her after a few days, let me know and I'll look into it again."

Soul looked back at the paper. "But…"

"Soul, I'm not saying I'm a professional," Stein said, "but I'm a professional. I've seen things like this before, it's nothing."

Soul looked at the doctor. He trusted Stein. "Alright."

Maka looked at Soul. He seemed worried, sounded worried, but Maka couldn't quite understand what he was saying, nor Stein. All the noise in the room seemed to echo and merge together. She was cold and didn't like being exposed in front of two boys, even if she did know them. She wanted to pull down the gown, wanted to get up and go take a bath, but her body felt heavy, like it wasn't her's.

She looked at the clock, but could've read it. Everything seemed to move in a wavy motion, like she was submerged in water. She tried to speak, but felt too tired. She was glad to feel her gown being pulled back down and Soul picking her up to go back home.

"I want a bath," she droned. She sounded far away to herself, like her mouth wasn't her mouth. She heard the echoing of Soul's drowned voice, but didn't quite catch what he had said. Her head lay against Soul's chest, she could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and lulled her.

"Bath," she repeated, wanting to make sure Soul had heard her. She heard the same blur of Soul's tone again, but still couldn't catch what he was saying. Maka tried to speak again, but an overwhelming exhaustion took over her. The last thing she remembered seeing was Soul's motorcycle before drifting off.

XxX

Stein typed Maka's new patient information into the computer, then leaned back and kicked his feet up on the desk. He tapped his cigarette on a nearby ashtray then returned it to his mouth. Stein gazed at the screen, his brain itching. It felt like he was forgetting something, but he couldn't place his figure on it.

Oh well, he thought as he took a hit from his dwindling cigarette, then proceeded to continue inputting Maka's information.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III

Soul tucked Maka into her bed, pulling the comforter and extra blanket up to her neck and fluffing her pillows. He set a glass of cold water on her bedside table and looked down at her one last time.

Maka's eyes were closed and her breathing was slightly course, suggesting she was asleep. Her blonde hair was still wet from her bath, sticking to her face and leaving wet marks on her pillow. Soul placed a hand on her head. She felt less warm now that he'd given her the medicine Dr. Stein had prescribed, but her fever was still there.

Soul leaned down and kissed her on the head. "Good night, Maka," he said quietly to his meister. He stood straight and turned around when he heard Maka behind him.

"Why did you do that?" Soul turned around and looked down. Maka had her eyes closed still, but now Soul was certain she wasn't asleep. He squatted beside her. "Because you're my best friend," he said softly. Maybe Maka was talking in her sleep, he thought to himself.

Soul waited for Maka to say something else. When she gave a soft snort, Soul laughed quietly to himself, knowing that she was asleep now if she wasn't before. He stood up and left the room, making sure to shut the door gently.

XxX

Soul awoke with a start, hearing a loud thud. It didn't sound like Blair pouncing around; it sounded more like something large had fallen. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock: 7:21AM. He sighed. Soul hated waking up this early, especially on Saturday, but now that he was awake, he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep.

He sat up and yawned, when he heard a shuffling outside his door. Confused and weary, Soul opened the door and looked around. Maka's door was wide open, enough to see Maka wasn't inside. Soul looked around the apartment again. Maybe Maka was feeling better and went to the bathroom?

With that in mind, Soul went back into his room, hoping to get at least a few more minutes of shut eye before Maka would wake him for meal time.

Maka wanted out of bed. She'd woken up an hour ago-at least, it felt like an hour ago-and still didn't feel that she had the strength to move. She looked over at her door. If she moved her body instead of her limbs, she thought, maybe she would be able to maneuver out of the bed. With this plan, Maka forced her body to roll off her back onto her side, then proceeded to roll out of bed.

She landed on her stomach, with a loud thud, and Maka instantly became nauseous. She used her trembling, weak limbs to push herself up on all fours. She stood there shaking, letting her arms and legs become familiar with the pressure of her weight.

She started to crawl to the door when she felt strong enough to move without collapsing, unsteadily making her way to the door. Upon reaching said door, Maka reached up and grabbed the door knob, her elbow almost giving out in the process. She turned the knob and crawled outside of her room.

Maka lost some of the trembling in her arms and legs as she continued to meander the house. She wanted to eat. She hadn't eaten yesterday, couldn't. Everytime Soul spooned soup into her mouth, Maka felt her esophagus muscles contracting, rejecting the nutrients. It had left her starving, famished.

She crawled around the corner when she almost heard through her drowned hearing the creak of an opening door. Blaming her faulty hearing, Maka continued to search for something to satisfy her grumbling innards and settled on a bag of Goldfish she found in a bottom cupboard.

Soul jerked awake again when he heard a loud clang come from the kitchen. He looked at the clock, seeing how long he had been asleep: 7:27AM. Soul sighed frustrated then stormed out of his room. "Hey!" he said harshly as he walked to the kitchen. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here-" Soul cut himself off.

In front of him was Maka, sitting on the floor in the hospital gown and socks, with a bag of Goldfish spilled on the floor and a large cooking pot in front of her. Maka looked at her weapon, so oblivious and innocent, it made Soul's heart ache. There was a foul smell polluting the air.

Maka jerked forward, her cheeks inflating quickly, and vomited, missing the pot completely. She retched twice on herself and the floor, and Soul was shocked. He'd never seen anyone like this.

About ready to vomit himself from the smell, Soul rushed over and placed the large pot under Maka's bowed head. He rubbed her back, hoping to sooth her, as she continued to vomit.

After the fifth time, Maka gasped for air, shaking and eyes watering. She looked at Soul, then at herself and the floor, then in the pot. "I'm sorry," she said meekly.

Soul patted her back. "It's fine." He stood up and rummaged in the top cabinets. "I wasn't using that floor anyway." He pulled out a package of spearmint gum and put it in his pocket. "Let's go get you cleaned up," he said, as he lifted Maka up from under her arms and placed her on her feet.

Maka sat in the tub while Soul cleaned the mess in the kitchen. He didn't let Maka see, but he wore a constructor's work mask to hide the smell. Twenty minutes later, Soul was ready to throw up all of last week's lunch.

He opened the bathroom door to see Maka, chewing on the gum he'd given her and swirling her finger in the bubbles, not taking notice in him. He was on the phone with Dr. Stein. "Yeah," he said. "She's getting worse."

"She sounds to sick to leave the house." Soul heard the fssssss of the doctor's cigarette as he took a hit. Stein exhaled before continuing. "I'll come over and check her out again."

Soul said, "Okay. Thanks." and hung up.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

Stein thought while he made his way to Maka and Soul's. He thought about Maka's vitals, how average they were, how nothing was out of the ordinary, and the itching in the back of his brain from yesterday night as he filled in Maka's information.

Stein turned the screw in his head, the same familiar click filling his ears. He was forgetting something, but what? He hadn't been able to figure out what he'd spaced, and the itching hadn't ceased since. As he knocked on the brown door, he thought, Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

The door creaked open to reveal a flustered Soul, hair a mess and sweaty. "Glad you could make it," he greeted.

"Anytime," Stein returned. The scientist made his way inside and immediately felt a wave of insatiable heat. He set down his medical kit and set took his lab coat off. "Why's it so hot in your house?"

Soul walked over to Maka's pink door. "Maka says she's cold, so I have the heat turned on," the weapon explained. Stein followed him and Soul opened the door to the meister's room. Maka was laying on her bed sprawled and looking at the ceiling. The covers had been kicked to the end of the bed and were touching the floor, and beside Maka's bed was a metal bucket with a trash bag inside. Maka herself was wearing hardly anything, just a tank top that didn't go past her belly button and underwear.

Stein walked in, the scythe following suit. "I thought you said she was cold," Stein said turning to Soul, referring to Maka's skimpy attire.

"I did," Soul replied. "But Maka says she's too hot to wear anything more."

Chills and heat flashes, thought the doctor. Interesting.

Maka coughed behind them. It was course and raspy, Stein noticed, and sounded like it was emanating from her chest more than her throat. He angled himself and looked at the meister.

Maka's body moved with each cough, and phlegm seemed to spurt from her mouth like a geyser. Stein could see from his position the phlegm itself was green and yellow, indicating an infection. But what happened next completely pulled the rug out from under him.

Maka leaned over the side of the bed and vomited, nearly missing the bucket below her. She coughed in between retches, Soul rushing over to comfort her, rubbing her back. Stein watched for a full two minutes as Maka continued to regurgitate. Soul, surprisingly prepared, wiped Maka's mouth off with a hand towel, had Maka switch and spit some water, and gave Maka two pieces of spearmint gum. Maka nodded a thank you to Soul and Soul patted her back in response

Stein stepped in with his medical kit and kneeled next to Maka. "Maka, I'm going to need to do another exam on you like last time. Okay?" The meister nodded, and the scientist checked her temperature, which was higher than yesterday. Stein then pulled the stethoscope out of his bag and placed the nuds in his ears. He reached under maka shirt and placed the cold metal on her skin, listening to her heart rate. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. It sounded faster than it had yesterday.

The doctor next took Maka's blood pressure. "Ow," Maka hissed, wincing as the machine tightened on her arm. Her blood pressure was one-forty over ninety. He wrote down the results, along with her heart beat analysis.

Stein sat on the bed next to Maka and placed the stethoscope diaphragm on Maka's back, instructing her when to take deep breaths and when to hold her breath and when to exhale and moving the diaphragm along her back.

This is what I forgot yesterday, he thought. I'd forgotten to check her breathing.

When her test was done, Stein removed the nubs from his ears and wrote down her breathing test results. It had sounded raspy, unclear.

"Soul," Stein said, alerting the weapon who'd been watching diligently. The doctor paused a few seconds to gaze at a red cut on Maka's knee, then continued: "Can I talk to you outside?" Soul nodded, and they left Maka in her room, tracing her finger along her thigh.

"So… what's wrong with her?" Soul asked, clearly concerned and nervous about her health analysis.

Stein turned the screw in his head, sounding off the signature click-click-click that everyone as the DWMA recognized. Stein didn't want to lie to a friend nor student, so he just came out and said what was needed to be said. "Her heart rate was quicker than average, her blood pressure was borderline stage one hypertension, and her lungs were raspy."

Soul swallowed. "So what do we do?" His voice was shaky, scared. Stein had been expecting it, but now that he was in the moment, he couldn't have wanted more to be somewhere else and to have Maka healthy again.

"The best option would be to take her to a local ER and get an MRI or PET scan." Stein sighed with guilt. "I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure what this is anymore. It doesn't seem like influenza or a common cold, and if it were, the medicine you were giving her should've helped. Not make it worse."

Soul was taken back by what the doctor had just said. Maka didn't have the flu, it was something worse? No, he refused to believe it. Stein told him it was nothing. But… Stein had also just admitted he was wrong.

Soul held his confused frustration back. "Okay. So we take her to the ER, give her an MRI or whatever, and then what? She'll be all fine and dandy, or will she just get worse?"

"The MRI will tell you what's going on, and if not, they have other scans that can. From there, they'll choose a recovery method specified for Maka."

Soul couldn't take any more of this talk on Maka's medical condition. Stein had told him it was under control, and he'd lied, whether or not he'd meant to. He delayed what could've helped Maka feel better by tomorrow, but instead he was saying that they had the diagnosis and medicine all wrong. That it was making it worse.

Soul clenched and fists and his jaw tightened. "Get out of my house," he growled through gritted teeth, holding back the urge to kill this man where he stood.

Stein didn't say anything after that, just left with his lab coat and medical kit. As Soul made his way back to Maka, he found a paper on the nightstand with Maka's medical analysis Stein had written down with a note on the bottom. Soul crumpled it up and threw it across the room and left to take a shower.

Maka stared at the crumpled paper for a moment. Soul had been angry about it, but why? She slowly made her way over, crouched down on her tiled floor, and opened the paper and read it:

Temperature: 102.3 F°; hot flashes along with chills

Heart rate: faster than yesterday

Blood pressure: 140/90, almost stage 1 hypertension

Breathing: Raspy, elongated coughing fits accompanied by phlegm; color of phlegm suggests infection

Digestion: Vomiting fits (assumably bile) along with indigestion

Soul, I noticed a scrape on Maka's left knee. I would notify the doctors about it when you visit the ER.

Franken Stein


End file.
